Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it stopped an alleged drone operation against a power facility and a key part of Moscow’s missile defenses, detaining two men in the Moscow region Monday.
The agency said the alleged targets were an electricity infrastructure site and a component of the capital’s missile defense system. It accused the men of acting on instructions from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
According to the FSB, the men obtained first-person-view drones and explosives in two Russian regions, took them to the Moscow region and activated the drones after configuring them. Operators in Ukraine were expected to control the drones remotely, the agency said.
The FSB said one suspect had been recruited by an SBU officer and promised payment. It alleged that he traveled to Russia to prepare the attack and enlisted an acquaintance to help. The agency said officers detained the men while they were preparing the operation. It described the suspects as being from the South Caucasus region.
Reuters reported that Ukraine and the SBU had not immediately commented on the allegations. The FSB’s account also comes amid discussion of possible limits on attacks against energy sites. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Oct. 20 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had rejected reciprocal limits on energy strikes, as EconoTimes reported earlier.
